


Carnivale (Farewell to Flesh)

by lilacsigil



Category: X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Brazil, F/M, Gen, Nazis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-08
Updated: 2011-01-08
Packaged: 2017-10-14 14:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/150010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilacsigil/pseuds/lilacsigil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Brazil, after WWII: Magnus and Isabelle fight evil in their own ways, and find good where they can.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Carnivale (Farewell to Flesh)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lady Erin](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Lady+Erin).



> Thanks to st_aurafina for the beta and to lady_erin for the prompt!

"You knew that something was wrong because the children were too healthy?" Isabelle drank her coffee too quickly. She did everything in a hurry.

Magnus shrugged. "When children are on the edge of starvation, even the smallest scrap of extra food makes a difference. Someone was giving treats to some of those children and not others."

"Hence, your Nazi. Did he hurt them?"

Magneto stirred another sugar into his coffee. Brazil was corrupting him. "Not badly – as far as I can tell he was only taking blood samples."

"So far. And the others working with him?"

"All locals."

"You can't blame them – it's so far from Europe, and they don't understand. Foreigners come here, flashing their money around..."

"Their poverty consents but not their will? Even Shakespeare didn't let that one pass."

Isabelle slammed her cup down and put her hand on his forearm, her fingers digging into his flesh. "Did you hurt them?"

For a moment, he wanted to say yes, to be as absolute as everyone thought him, but it wasn't true, and Isabelle would see straight through him. "No. I scared them. That's all."

"Good." She stroked his arm, not gently, smoothing his jacket sleeve back into place. "I don't want to have to waste time patching up your victims at the hospital when I could be helping all the other patients. Speaking of which..."

"Must you go so soon, Isabelle?"

"I'm funded by the university hospital, not the Americans. Time for one coffee and seven hours sleep, that's all the rest I need."

He stood up and held her chair; she kissed his unshaven cheek and hurried back to work without a backwards glance.

Magnus sighed and paid for their coffees. Isabelle was an exacting woman, and no matter what he did, she always demanded more. Then, abruptly, she would order him to relax, to dance, to drink coffee in the heat of the day while everyone else took a siesta.

He touched his cheek where she had kissed him. Maybe there was not much tenderness left in either of them – nor could there be, with the work they did – but there was enough.


End file.
